A clock generator is a circuit that produces a clock signal that can be used for a variety of purposes, including synchronizing a circuit's operation. The clock signal can be in the form of a sine wave, square wave, and the like. A clock circuit generally includes a resonant circuit and an amplifier circuit.
The resonant circuit can include an oscillator, such as a quartz piezo-electric oscillator, LC tank circuits, and ring oscillator circuits. The amplifier circuit typically inverts the oscillator signal and feeds a portion back as feedback in order to maintain oscillation.
The clock generator generates the clock signal having a variety of characteristics. These include duty cycle, waveform shape, min/max values, stability, and the like.